Superman hit the movie theatres last week. As a child he was my favourite superhero so I'm pleased that we have a less gritty cinematic version of the comics' legend incoming. Disappointingly, there will be no LEGO® Superman sets, so instead, I have taken a look at one of my other childhood favourite crime-fighting superheroes: Batman™!
Back in October last year, 76328 Batman™: The Classic TV Series Batmobile™ was released and as soon as I saw the initial reveal pictures, I wanted to investigate the set and its new windscreens.
Products in this article were gifted by The LEGO Group; the author's opinions are their own.
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76328 Batman: The Classic TV Series Batmobile
- Release date: 1 October 2024
- Pieces: 1822
- US$ 149.99 on LEGO.com US
- CA$ 199.99 on LEGO.com Canada
- GB£ 129.99 on LEGO.com UK
- AU$ 249.99 on LEGO.com Australia
- NZ$ 269.99 on LEGO.com New Zealand
- DE€ 149,99 on LEGO.com Deutschland
- NL€ 149,99 on LEGO.com Nederland
- FR€ 149,99 on LEGO.com France
- PLN 659.99 on LEGO.com Polska
- NOK 1999,90 on LEGO.com Norge
- DKK 1299.95 on LEGO.com Danmark
The parts
New moulds – Kapow!
Within the set, it was the two pairs of windscreens that I was most keen to examine. For peace of mind, all four screens come individually packed to prevent scratching.
2x Windscreen Rounded 6 x 8 x 3 ⅔ in Trans-Clear (6508194 | 5498)
2x Windscreen Rounded 6 x 6 x 3 ⅔ in Trans-Clear (6508193 | 5497)
At first glance, it looks a little like they might be quite specialised, but as with most modern parts they fit into the LEGO® System very neatly.
Both the front horizontal edge and the rear vertical edge have a 3-module radius. The two examples above right are approximations while the one on the left is a match, where I distanced the curve from the edge by 1 module plus 1 plate (28 LDU).
Another match shown below is 1x4x3 half-arches (80543) stacked on the equivalent of 4 plates.
With just two anti-studs on its base, the clutch seems a little loose to me. A careless knock did unseat a windscreen. Although slightly frustrating when the screens pop off deep in the throes of MOC building, they do seem firm enough to hold when in swoosh mode.
Recoloured parts – Biff!
- 4x Brick Special 1 x 2 with Masonry Brick Profile in Black (6515802 | 98283)
- 12x Brick Special 1 x 4 with Masonry Brick Profile in Black (6515804 | 15533)
- 1x Wedge Curved 4 x 8 No Top Studs in Black (6507813 | 5382) previously seen in printed form in 77000 Shadow the Hedgehog
- 4x Technic Beam 3 x 3 T-Shape Thick in Bright Light Orange (6476818 | 60484)
Rare parts – Whamm!
- 1x Wheel 30 x 20 5-Spoke in Flat Silver (6250349 | 42716) in two other sets
- 2x Tipper End Flat without Pins in White (6474234 | 30022) in 76278 Rocket’s Warbird vs. Ronan
Decorations – Crash!
- 4x Tile Round 1 x 2 with Red Batman Logo print (6508657)
The first sheet of stickers contains necessary instrumentation and fine detail.
All those labels remind me of the sticky notes I leave for myself around the house, although “DEFROST TEA” is quite a departure from “NAIL SPREADER”! I have to question one thing though, surely a number plate registered in Gotham City would tend to undermine Batman’s anonymity?
The second sheet is a single big sticker for the display plaque. This is something I dislike. I noted in my review of 76968 Dinosaur Fossils - Tyrannosaurus rex that the skeleton had a printed plaque, so I am hopeful that similar display pieces will follow this as standard going forward. If not, I would encourage a policy change at TLG to set a maximum sticker size that LEGO fans are expected to apply, preferably somewhere far below this 8x16.
It's mostly for the anxiety of messing it up. Can I apply these stickers neatly? Most of the time, yes. Have I fumbled them before? Also yes. Have I seen ones that look like your average penguin could do a better job? Again, yes.
Minifigure and stand – Boom!
In the 1960s TV show (as well as in comics and other media), Batman and Robin are often referred to as the "Dynamic Duo". They were inseparable, and one without the other feels somewhat sacrilegious in a flagship set. It is doubly troubling, given that the minifigure here is almost a superfluous addition to the display portion of the build.
This is a nice minifigure, however, it feels like only a minor variation of the previous version in 76188 Batman™ Classic TV Series Batmobile™. The head with an alternate pair of expressions is new. The legs are dual moulded and it does feature a newish cape too.
With so many Batman variations though it feels reasonable to expect something a bit more special if this minifigure is included to "add value". Ultimately, I feel like if there are to be minifigures included in higher-priced adult sets, perhaps more should be made of them as a baseline?
History of the classic Batmobile and LEGO versions
About the 1966 Batmobile – Zok!
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| GabboT, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons |
The original '60s Batmobile is iconic and has undoubtedly been influential in much of what has succeeded it. There is an interesting story behind the development of the real world car that brought more than just four wheels to the TV show, as I discovered in an entertaining little Batmobile article that I found at Bold Entrance.
The Lincoln Futura, a 1955 Ford concept car was transformed in just three weeks to become the Caped Crusader’s gadget-packed crime-fighting cabriolet. The '66 Batmobile adds a heavy dose of James Bond's DB5 mixed into the sleek style cues of classic '50s American car design.
It may seem sedate by modern bat-standards, but it was a wild-looking ride at the time: double-bubble windscreens, heavy-lidded headlights, and those iconic bat-wing scalloped tailfins. In black and red livery, it is quite a cocktail of aesthetics to translate into LEGO form.
1960s LEGO Batmobiles – Bam!
The classic TV series Batmobile was first celebrated by an exclusive, limited edition San Diego Comic-Con LEGO set in 2014. Holy rip-off, Batman: this set contains no exclusive parts, minifigures or even anything particularly rare, yet prices currently start at around $500 for the 152-piece original.
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| ©2014, 2016 The LEGO Group |
The first generally available LEGO incarnation of the cult classic Batmobile was an 8-module wide inclusion in 76052 Batman Classic TV Series - Batcave. Its brilliant details made it a highlight of that 2,500-piece set.
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| ©2021 The LEGO Group |
The next version, 76188 Batman Classic TV Series Batmobile
made its debut just over four years ago and is a pretty splendid interpretation of the Batmobile, again packed with great details.
An interesting fact that I discovered via Brickset is that the previous two sets share a designer: Adam Grabowski, and he designed the subject of this article too. Indeed, looking through the LEGO sets designed by Grabowski, it would seem there are few Batmobiles he has not built!
Building set 76328 – Zapp!
The chassis begins predictably, as a lattice of LEGO® Technic bricks. This quickly produces a sturdy and reliable base to build upon, essential for bearing the weight of the completed vehicle. It also allows the construction to move onto interesting aspects of the vehicle's design early within the build.
Sadly, there is no working steering in the set; a feature I have almost come to expect following previous "big car" builds like the Porsche, Red Chevy and Countach.
The construction continues in a pretty varied way. It's not many more steps before we add a couple of sub-assemblies to form some detailing of the front grille and headlights. It really begins to evoke the iconic looks of the Batmobile.
From here on it is easy to see where the model is headed, even if things do appear a little blocky at this point.
The stickers really add authentic-looking detail to the console's instrumentation.
As the top surfaces take shape, the dimensions of the thing really do begin to impose. This had become a black enormity dominating my build area, and I began to wonder where I'd display it! It also starting to get a bit heavy at this point too.
All that dense black starts to break up a little more when the final red accents in the detailing are added, along with the windscreens with their grey arch trim. The slab-like form is reduced by those angled tail-fins.
Careful application of the stickers to the scalloped edges of the tail fins is required. Unusually, the sticker placement needs to be directly flush with the edge of each of the inverted curve 1x2 bricks (78666).
Three rocket launchers, an aerial and four Bat-wheels are all that's left to complete the Batmobile.
Conclusion
The finished Batmobile – Bash!
Overall, this is mostly a simple build and the techniques used are of a fairly standard nature by modern sets’ standards.
It's a good-looking model, although I'm slightly disappointed that more hasn't been made of the Batmobile's gadgets at this scale. How practical it would have been to include things like the wire-cutting circular saw in the central divide at the front of the car is difficult for me to ascertain, but with all the bat-labelling included, it just feels slightly remiss that none of that fun is translated into action features.
Although mostly a simple build, the clever little sub-assemblies use a little side-on building and there are also some other ingenious attachment methods in the set to reverse the orientation of the bricks – perhaps not as many as you might find in a more ambitiously shaped vehicle like the Shelby Cobra, (read Zach's review of 10357 Shelby Cobra for details), but certainly enough to keep the build interesting. Repetitive steps are at a minimum.
What has been achieved in accuracy is quite impressive, given the relative simplicity of the build. Despite the clear compromises that would always be necessary to translate the forms of the original ‘66 Batmobile into LEGO form, the only design choice that I think I would have liked to see handled differently are the wheel arches. However, the only real way to I can see to improve the look would be a new mould. It is a fairly shallow but wide arch that needs to be replicated; a larger version of the 1½x6x1 wheel arch (62361) would be ideal, but perhaps some ingenious integration of the LEGO Technic mudguard fairings (71689) could also work?
Without the extra Robin minifigure or play functions, the appeal here is only as a display model, cool as it is. Batman was first on TV screens nearly 60 years ago and I have to wonder whether this is an attempt by The LEGO Group to appeal to an older age group, from those that watched the original screenings all the way to those that watched the endless reruns over many decades.
Value – Zamm!
I think the price of US$149.99/ £129.99/ 149.99€/ AU$249.99 is in keeping with other vehicle sets of this scale. Predominantly the parts are black and red and most are fairly standard, as evidenced by the low number of new and recoloured parts. The new windscreens are available on Pick a Brick but prices are quite high; by comparison BrickLink sellers are currently far more affordable.
I had fun building the set; the healthy dose of nostalgia is there for me as I did watch the TV show when it was repeated here in the UK in the early '80s. I had a couple of diecast toy Batmobiles as a boy and this LEGO set definitely evoked powerful memories of those long-lost but beloved and battered possessions.
A Robin minifigure is conspicuously absent and I still think that is a very great shame and a definite detractor. The accuracy of the wheel arches doesn't hold up to scrutiny in my opinion, but given how well the model resembles the real-life version overall, I think I should try to overlook this discrepancy.
Despite all that's here – a volume of LEGO, a well designed model and an impressive level of detail – I don't think I can recommend this set for general appeal. I may be wrong, but I think an even greater appreciation than I have of the subject matter is necessary to truly enjoy this set. For real Adam West / Burt Ward Dynamic Duo aficionados, then yes, I think it's absolutely a set you will want to build and own.
MOCs using the Batmobile windscreens – Bang!
I wanted to explore the new bubble canopies in the Batmobile further.
I make no secret of my love for Classic Space and had been wanting to build spaceships for the two new astronauts that came in set 21358 Minifigure Vending Machine, which I recently reviewed, as well as the one in Build-a-Minifigure stations in LEGO stores.
The Hummingbird
The Swift
The larger of the two screens (5498) has a 6x8 footprint which determined that I should try to build something a bit bigger.
I was aiming for using pearl gold to match the other spaceman from the vending machine, but knew that pearl gold does not have some of the parts that I wanted to use. Although many pearl gold parts are available, I decided to use yellow as I already had many of the necessary parts to hand.
The Barreleye
The Build-a-Minifigure Classic Space minifigure torso is bright light blue.
I originally built the enclosure used here for the Swift but abandoned it in favour of a bulkier look. I decided to revisit that enclosure and it happened to be sitting on my build table in an upright orientation. The idea of an upright buggy amused me and, with that as the aim, I built the slightly absurd-looking bubble vehicle above.
READ MORE: Review: 21359 Italian Riviera from LEGO® Ideas
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The fenders are an abomination. At this scale it is inexcusable to not have a more refined solution.
ReplyDeleteAs for minifigs, why not have a George Barris figure? He was the genius that not only designed it but managed to build it inside a month. THAT dude deserves more credit and recognition. For that matter, why not include a Carroll Shelby in the Cobra set? If TLG is going to create sets of iconic cars, then why not celebrate the actual iconic people that created them in the first place? Harley Earl? John DeLorean? Henry Haga? Lee Iacocca? Battista Farina? David Brown? Marcello Gandini? And that's just cars, how about Thomas Andrews for the Titanic set? Frank Lloyd Wright for any of the numerous architecture sets over the years? You hinted in the article about this set being rather anachronistic and destined for display only, it seems like a completely flubbed opportunity for sparking a revived interest through education. Instead of only celebrating THE icon, why not celebrate THOSE that made it such? baffling.
And better fenders (Holy slapdashery, Batman, these are awful!) AND no steering? Even with the perfectly disguised "gumdrop" as the actuator?! Come on, Lego! I can't see recommending this even for the avid fan, like me.
You've got to consider who a set like this is aimed primarily at—I doubt most Batman fans, even fans of the classic TV series, could pick George Barris out of a lineup. Yes, he was the designer of this prop but I doubt a minifig of him would really be likely to increase the appeal of the set for most buyers, who'd be more interested in the character who drove the car on screen rather than somebody primarily known to Hollywood trivia buffs.
DeleteAs for other non-Hollywood cars in the Icons theme, while their designers are perhaps more well known and relevant to car buffs I doubt including a minifigure of them would be that much of a selling point. Auto designers are not exactly known for flamboyant and distinctive appearances like Batman here or the racing drivers in the large scale F1 sets, so it'd essentially just be adding a plain-looking minifigure to a set that isn't even scaled for them—not exactly a worthwhile use of the set's budget.
Starry Night came with a "plain" Vincent and there was also plenty of historical write up in the instructions. Do you think George Barris doesn't deserve the same recognition? Aren't you even a little bit curious as to who he was? Don't you want to know about the legendary story behind this particular work of art? How about his other iconic cars? Does your interest in this achievement stop at Adam West's prop?
DeleteThere is a wealth of history, artistry, and accomplishment here that you rather insultingly and casually cast aside as simply reserved for "Hollywood trivia buffs." How about TLG actually give us some reason to call it "Icon" rather than just lump it as a collective theme without explanation? Rather than consider who it's aimed for, why not ask actual relevant questions? WHY is it iconic? WHO made it iconic? WHAT was the cultural tide that made it iconic? WHY does having a license plate on a secret car make the most brilliantly ironic, bombastically absurd, and iconically humorous sense? WHAT were the skills and vision used to make this iconic? HOW does something that is so ubiquitous as a car evolve into something uniquely iconic? Why do people that know of Barris call HIM an icon? AND how would a plain minifigure of a plain man doing a plain job prove more than any comic book hero to be someone everyone can realistically aspire to be and maybe someday be considered an icon themselves? What you casually call plain, those of us that know would call George Barris. The Batmobile is iconic, George Barris is the icon. Similarly, Starry Night is iconic, Vincent is the icon. There is no difference between the significance of either art; and more importantly, there is no difference between the significance of either artist. The medium is irrelevant.
As for the "worthwhile use of the set's budget", I think it will be universally agreed upon that more of it should have gone towards the fenders and steering, not another Batman.
The difference between this and Starry Night is night and day. Vincent Van Gogh's appearance (as depicted in the set) is well-known by a broad swath of the population thanks to his self-portraits. George Barris has no such broad cultural recognition. On top of that, including his likeness would require additional licensing since unlike Batman (whose appearance would be part of the same licensing considerations as this Batmobile), Barris was a real person whose likeness rights would not be included in the licensing for a TV prop he worked on.
DeleteI'm not disputing that Barris was a spectacular auto designer and customizer. But while crediting him with the design of the Batmobile depicted here is all well and good, I can't really see any reason why Lego would bother to create a minifigure of a private individual whose work on the car took place entirely behind the scenes (outside of the consciousness of most fans of the series), instead of the iconic character the car was driven by. You're treating a minifigure here as a means to educate the public, but that's almost entirely backwards from their actual function—Lego licensed themes, Icons or otherwise, are focused on taking demand that already exists for recognizable characters and subjects from the world or pop culture and turning them into a product, not on taking subjects that are under-recognized and trying to create a new buying audience for them. That's a much taller order, and better undertaken by educational media or institutions whose purpose is to inform rather than to a company that is in the business of selling toys.
Solid point regarding likeness rights postmortem, they vary state to state and country to country. That would be an awful quagmire to navigate. As to his incomparable cultural recognition, I have to disagree due to the sole fact that there are far more people out there that can identify this as the Batmobile than those out there that can identify Starry Night as a Vincent. Not any condemnation, just simply the world we live in.
DeleteSo then, what’s the icon here? Is it Batman or the Batmobile? More to the point, is this a Batman set with a Batmobile or vice versa? Eventually we have to ask why there is a minifigure in this set. The example of Vincent in Starry Night didn’t add to the model, only the speculative value. Same here. Additionally, the added cost of an out of scale exclusive minifigure only adds to the price while we're still left with abominable fenders and no steering. It would be much better, and profitable, if TLG eliminated minifigures (blasphemy, I know) from sets like this and actually took some care in using them more consciously. They tend to be superfluous, contentious, and controversial as of late. If we are to “consider who a set like this is aimed primarily at”, then a display-oriented model suffers from an out of scale, exclusive, and costly minifigure. It didn’t help Starry Night, there isn’t one in Sunflower, and Batman here takes away from the focus on the car. Which still needs better fenders and steering.
As to the "entirely behind the scene" sentiment, Vincent can be argued in the same light. Considering he only sold one painting in his lifetime out of well over two thousand works, it would be safe to say that he was well "outside the conscience" of everyone. Like Barris, he was doing something new with the medium that had never been seen before, elevating it beyond anyone’s expectations and even their own potential. The only difference being the medium and the immediacy of the cultural impact. It makes them the icon, not the works dropped off along the way. Those are just examples of why.
As for the "taller order" of education, what you constitute as an insurmountable obstacle for TLG is simply the elimination of a costly minifigure and the addition of information in the instructions and a line on the sticker. You and I have put more effort in our wall of text here than what TLG would do towards that end. Equating this as something akin to a four-year impacted curriculum with an internship is just silly when interest and education can be fostered with a single page and a line on a sticker. The Cobra can have a similar write up as well as the Countach. Starry Night had several pages, this deserves at least a paragraph or two. It would cost TLG less, so the "business of selling toys" would actually be more profitable.
In conclusion, TLG should stop salting the mine with minifigures and trust the model and the people buying it. They need to use the word “Icon” sparingly and understand that in this case Batman made the Batmobile popular, but it was George Barris that made it iconic. Give him credit, give Shelby credit for the Cobra, give Gandini credit for the Countach, et al. And finally, FENDERS AND STEERING.